What I Mean

Dear Reader,

Lately I have been contemplating Catholic writing and how available it is to the masses. For your average Catholic I would surmise that if they read any Catholic work they pick it up at Barnes and Noble, Borders, Amazon, or Books a Million. Most don’t look for Catholic publishers such as St. Ignatius Press and a lot of us live in areas without access to Catholic bookstores. I am going to guess this is because people prefer convenience and what they know. This also may be because your average person is not a big reader of theology. I have been to bookstores all over this country and in various countries in Europe. One thing remains the same; the Catholic section is tiny compared to the rest of the Christian section.

I know there are vast resources for Catholics on the Internet where a person can order pretty much whatever they need, can read countless articles, and listen to lectures on hundreds of topics. This is wonderful for people who use it. I personally love it, but a lot of people don’t use these resources.. I am not sure where the disconnect is between the masses and Catholic resources. In fact I am rather puzzled by it and something just isn’t sitting well with me. The number one resource we have, besides Scripture, is The Catechism of the Catholic Church. Compiled during John Paul II’s pontificate, it is meant to be the definitive source for all Catholics on matters of Church teaching. You have a question about contraception, abortion, holy days, etc. go to the Catechism and it will lay out God’s law. It is all there in relatively plain language. This wonderful tool is available and yet I know tons of Catholics who do not own a Catechism. In fact, I know tons of Catholics who flat out never read Catholic books. I wonder why this is?

When I met my Catholic husband he had more works by Protestant writer Max Lucado than any Catholic writer. Not because he isn’t hungry for more understanding of the Church, but mainly because he wants practical advice on Catholic living as opposed to apologetics. Don’t get me wrong, he loves to listen to Scott Hahn and others on CD, but read them, no so much. This is completely understandable. Theology, Biblical Studies, and Philosophy are topics widely used and loved in the scholastic arena and by people like me who enjoy studying the Church from those angles. I am going to hazard a guess that your average mom or dad with teenage children is more interested in practical advice on raising their rebellious sons or daughters in the Church. Or perhaps, the person who is bored with their job is looking for advice on living passionately within the Faith and how to find God’s call for them. I actually found Max Lucado’s Cure for the Common Life to be very helpful in times of boredom with my work. Where is the Catholic Max Lucado? The man writes books on everything and anything pertaining to Christian living.

I read Christian works regardless of denomination. Sometimes this can be dicey when theological differences arise, but by and large I learn something about the Christian life from the author, heck I have learned about Christian living from atheists and agnostics. One thing I would love to be able to do is walk into my local Barnes and Noble, order my iced white mocha, and go discover a book on being a new mother as a Catholic, marriage, Catholic living, simplifying my life, prayer in a busy schedule, etc. Such a book isn’t available to me at my local bookstore. There is occasionally one or two that I can apply to my life. I found John Talbot’s Lessons of St. Francis to be the perfect choice on simplifying my life. If I want a Protestant perspective I have scores to choose from and a lot of times I do choose them because they are available. If I am searching for theological or scholastic books I have many to choose from: Scott Hahn, Pope Benedict XVI, JPII, Peter Kreeft, Augustine, Aquinas, Teresa of Avila, George Weigel, and Thomas Merton are readily available. I appreciate how both Scott Hahn and Peter Kreeft, as professors, are working to bridge the gap between scholarship and average readership. I don’t have internet at home right now, so when I have time I can look for books on Catholic living online.

I honestly am not sure why more Catholic books are not mainstream. What makes a writer like Matthew Kelly crossover the Catholic and secular line? Besides the fact that what he writes is based on truth, he writes for each and every person that they may achieve their God given purpose. He reaches into our daily lives and reminds us of why we are here. I think that people are thirsty for books that apply to the everyday. St. Thomas Aquinas is rough even for theologians and philosophers let alone your average Catholic with no interest in the complexities of the faith. They aren’t as concerned about the differences between an entirely transcendent God and one that is the essence of all things; all though, this would help a lot of people more than they know. Most people want to know what and how. They want to know what the Church teaches and how to apply it to their lives. This is not to say that I don’t think a lot of Catholics live in the land of cognitive dissonance and don’t really want to know what the Church teaches on some issues. Contraception comes to mind here. This is a topic I will delve into later. For now I highly recommend The Theology of the Body Institute. They are doing great things for Church teaching on human sexuality. As writers I think we need to find a way to reach the Catholic and lapse Catholic masses by showing how Church teaching applies to our post-modern lifestyle.

It is also up to the Catholic to study the Church. No one is getting off the hook! I think one of the saddest things that has happened since Vatican II is the purging of the saints from many churches; especially in the U.S. I think however well meaning, that many priests and religious felt that the call to sainthood was too lofty for your average person. Unfortunately, the Catechism flat out states that we are all called to holiness which translates to saintliness. This is an overwhelming goal to be sure. In fact, here’s a little secret, the majority of us won’t make it in this life. Thankfully, we have God’s grace, love, and mercy to fall on should we at least make an effort. I am no Mother Teresa or St. Therese, even if my middle name is Theresa, ask my husband! The point is that the journey for a Roman Catholic is the path to sainthood. We strive each day to live a life of Christ. Yes, we will sin, so we pick ourselves back up, go to Confession, and start over. Even the saints had sins they struggled with day in and day out. I can tell you that pride and anger have ruled a good part of my life and I struggle greatly. That doesn’t mean that I should despair, rather it means that I should depend even more on God to show me how to remove my sinful ways. That being said, it is time for us to pick up the works of the saints again and for writers to incorporate the saints into their work. Being called to saintliness doesn’t mean that we are all called to find Calcuttas in the world. Rather, it means living each and every day for the greater Glory of God; when I do dishes, get ill from pregnancy, fold laundry, write, greet my husband when he gets home, all should be offered up for our Lord. I forget this daily and have to work hard to remind myself of this simple truth. This last paragraph deserves in its own blog, but it is tied to my thoughts on the lack of Catholic works making mass media markets.

My other fear is that unlike our Protestant brothers and sisters, Catholics flat out are not studying the faith. I am afraid many have become Sunday Catholics that give little thought to God or the faith in their daily lives. To quote Matthew Kelly they are not “thriving just merely surviving.” Would people start buying more books on Catholic living if they were readily available? I sure hope so. I know plenty who would, I also know plenty who wouldn’t. I think one of the things Catholic writers are called to do is help fellow Catholics see it as a lifestyle. Catholicism is all encompassing and should penetrate every space of our lives. I see this a lot in my Protestant friends. God is everything and the center of all things. Perhaps we can help people understand the need for discernment of God’s will in our daily lives, how to handle stresses of family and work, what the Church teaches, simplicity, service, and whole host of other topics. I am no expert and while I have been writing on my own since high school I have not yet finished a manuscript worthy of publishing. God willing, I hope it will happen some day. I am sure there are many other issues at work i.e. marketing, budget costs, etc. These are merely thoughts and observations. God bless and happy writing!